Today's Wog on the Dreadmill

Yes, I said wog. The affectionate term coined by my friend, Dina, for part walk/part jog.

Today was the day I *had* to get up and run. If I take more than 2 or 3 days off, my motivation plummets... But I decided today would just be an easy day on the dreadmill at home. Let me introduce you to my trusty dreadmill. She's old, she's cranky, she never goes the speed she says she does, but it works, and it saves me on days I can't get outside or to the gym. And it's got two major upgrades. Up top, we have attached one of those little DVD players that are meant to go on the back of a headrest in a car. As you can see, the plain white wall isn't exactly entertaining. Home is the only time I run that I use any form of entertainment besides people watching. And then the other little upgrade is there on the bottom in yellow - a high velocity fan... ahhhh... it's like a fresh fall breeze!

Right as I was ready to get on my shoes and get going, I see this:

Hmmmm... and as I get my shoes back, I see this:

You're cute, Paige, but it's mommy's turn.

I'm a little low on energy, so I did something out of my norm, and had a pre-run GU... something I typically only use on longer runs. I had a mandarin orange one that I received as a sample (do you feeeeeeeel a giveaway coming up??? you should... just give me a couple weeks). Shockingly, I liked it. The flavor was a lot more mild than I expected, and I didn't need as much water as I normally do to wash it down. It was light and refreshing, and once it kicked in, it did it's job of a shot of energy.

The goal for today was 4 miles with a slow jog at the start and finish and a few sprints in the middle. But due to my low energy, after the sprints, I took walk breaks instead of jog breaks. But even those were interrupted. Twice, I was interrupted with "I need to go powwy" by the same little cutie that tried on my shoes. And then interrupted again by my girls telling me that there's a lady at the door who wants to give me her card. Fabulous! Exactly why running at home is not a great idea in my house. Especially when my 2 and 5 year old are opening the front door for total strangers. No mommy award for me today. But I finished out the 4 slow miles, regardless.

I'm ready to refocus my training and get a bit more serious. I put in the miles, but I don't do speedwork, generally. I also don't cross-train. All the little birds have been chirping in my ears, and I'm going to do my best to buckle down and get hard core! We'll see how it goes...